The PC-Engine Control Pad is SOOOOO sublime!!!

For every home gaming console that you’ve seen in your time here on Earth, there’s been a memorable control pad that’s bundled with it, because if there isn’t, then there’s no fucking way you’d be able to play Streets of Rage on your Genesis.  From the archaic Pong pads to what we see gracing our hands as we rev up our PS3s, control pads are more or less the vehicle through which we interact with our consoles to get the most out of our gaming software.  Most of these wondrous tools are memorable, one-of-a-kind pieces of plastic and circuitry, but for my money, the most sublime of these belong to the NEC PC-Engine.

Maybe it’s in the way those two buttons are placed, or maybe it’s in the way the colors are stamped onto the rest of the pad (depending on if you’ve got the original, the Core Grafx pads and so on and so on), or maybe it’s all thanks to how it feels, but nothing seems so satisfying for console gaming that this slick son of a bitch.  It’s hard to hate on the NES pad, except for how sharp those corners are, or the big smooth style of the Sega Genesis controller, and, yes, let’s not forget the wonder that is the Super NES control pad, but just look at the variety of design that this one control pad has for it’s various console incarnations.  Just LOOK!!

See?

Simple, sleek and satisfying, it’s no wonder so many retrogamers are in love with the PC-Engine.  Forget that terrible font on the TurboPad from the TurboGrafx-16 and go japanese folks.  My money is more on the blue Core Grafx pad than the orange since, you know, I LOVE blue, but the rest aren’t bad either.  However, thanks to the rabid American retrogaming craze, it’s hard to snatch up some meaningful software for this console unless you’re willing to hand out a left arm for it.  Still, if you can find something fairly good and fairly cheap, then go for it because that will be the only way you can experience the sublime…er, ness of the PC-Engine control pad.  Game on, folks!!

Farewell, Sweet Shamrock Shake….

I hardly ever go to McDonald’s for anything save for the “once in a blue moon” craving of Chicken McNuggets (sheeeee-it!!!) every now and then, but goddammit, now that St. Patty’s Day is over and done with, so is the Shamrock Shake…by March 25th.

I’ve always had a craving for anything minty ever since I was a wee lad, especially if it was something in relation to Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, but when I first heard that someone was making a minty shake, I went apeshit and said to myself, “I’m there!!”

But I always forgot about it and I’d miss my chance for one.  As of late, all McD chains offer this minty fucker as supposed to only half of them two years ago.  It’s green, weird looking, has whipped cream and one of those shitty candied cherries on top that would usually taste like some broad’s nipples, but that’s besides the point.  If there’s any reason for you to go to this heart-disease inducing restaurant chain, it’s for this milkshake right here.  I know for most of us, it’s the season for us to drink the other dark and warm milkshake that we all know and love (I remember it being called Guinness), but go be a kid and pick one up people.  And if you find yourself in a McD’s that DOESN”T have it (I know I have), go apeshit, set the establishment ablaze and then find another that has it.

Unexpected Lover

To those that may not know, T-Square’s “Unexpected Lover” is my #1 favorite track from the band, and it’s somewhat fitting at this moment given how much of a turn my personal life has taken.  I won’t divulge anything really, but what I do want to say, or maybe reiterate, is that friendship and love are not as mutually exclusive as one may think.  Maybe both lead us in either way, or, they lead us into an even worse path, but regardless, they lead you somewhere, especially if you take the road of friendship.  With that said, all I can say right now is that although I’m not in the most “ideal” situation, I am in a place where her heart is all that matters to me, and that she finds solace in what I say, and how committed I’ve been.  Her hand is the only one I yearn for, and her body is the only one I want to pull close to me as darkness rolls across the sky, and so far, it has not only become both gratifying and irresistible, but, in many ways, highly unexpected…

Arsenal vs. AC Milan , UEFA Champions League Round of 16 (3-6-2012): THE REVENGE!!!

So much has already been said about this game, much of it being a bit negative from sacks of shit like BBC’s Chris Bevan and all, but let’s be honest with ourselves.  We had a small sliver of hope ever since we were walloped at the San Siro.  Turning it around was already a monumental task, so the Gunners decided to give it all they got.  Sure they sulked as the scoreline read 3 – 0 at full time, but what a magnificent way to end it.

From Koscielny’s dolphin-like header to Rosicky’s return to midfield Mozart, the game showed shades and shades of positives.  Gibbs was as great a left back as ever, mixing great forward play with timely and tasteful clearances.  RVP had some dynamite chances (including an absolute cracker near the box that made the keeper go Superman on it), while the likes of Gervinho and the Ox mixed it up with gutsy drives and great performances in ball pressing.  Our defense was composed, and our Polish keeper was a source of constant motivation while maintaining a clean sheet for the team.  As for AC Milan, the likes of Boateng and Seedorf were absent, and, in some fashion, so was the rest of the team.  Ibrahimovic and Van Bommel sure can dive, but the big thing to moan about is that cunt of a ref who sure needs a roundhouse to the teeth.  It’s not as if the Rossoneri didn’t play like shit, but they weren’t up their best (thanks Thiago Silva!!).  As for what Wenger said that got UEFA all up in a tiff?  I smell a touchline ban again!

So while you’re remembering our Gunners sulk after the end of the match, with the Arsenal hate train ticking on and off the blogo / net / twitter-sphere, please take it to heart that the team played their collective asses off.  This is the kind of performance we need from our boys here, and lets hope that this will carry through towards the end of our domestic season.  It takes class and drive to did what we did in the face of a monumental defeat, and in the end, the very end, we did not disappoint.  Raise your guns high gents, and let’s aim for a fine finish this season…

I’d Rather Walk Alone: Arsenal vs. Liverpool (3-3-2012)

After missing the first twenty minutes of the game thanks to something called sleep and a late night at “said girl’s” place, I was quickly updated with a shabby midfield display by the Gunners, the same midfield that tore down the Spuds the week before.  Szczesny made a magnificent save (or two) from Kuyt’s penalty AND rebound, which was all brought to you by that diving shite named Luis Suarez.  However, Arsenal were hardly making the mark at Anfield as Liverpool stretched them on the counterattack but produced little results due to some unlucky marksmanship, especially from that clown named Stewart Downing.  It got so bad for Liverpool in terms of actual scoring that Koscielny, who is usually excellent, made the unfortunate move of slicing in a ball meant for our keeper, but landed in our own net (see Liverpool, that’s how it’s done!).  The first half was not looking good at all…

But it all came down to the reliable Bacary Sagna to send in an immaculate cross from the right to get to RVP.  Robin plants his position, finds himself in front of that old asshat Carrahgher and plays Bonk’s Adventure with the ball, smashing it past Reina.  We were finally level.

The second half saw us play a tad bit bolder, but Liverpool continued to dominate possession and, yes, squander chances.  Arteta was knocked out by that teenager Henderson and unfortunately had to be carried out in a stretcher.  Diaby took over, but after a long spell in the injury list, he was re-introduced to it once again (but not before schooling some Liverpool midfielders on how to fucking dribble).  Suarez continued to find space to drive and dive, while other Liverpool players came to take shots on our keeper, but the SZCZ kept on blocking them all.  Hero of the day for sure, but an overtime tie seemed highly likely.  However, due to Arteta’s horrendous injury, extra time was chalked up to 8 minutes.  That’s when I got a bit nervous…

But something crazy happened.  Song popped up a floater above the Liverpool defenders, which found RVP’s left foot, and from there, he made a volley so sumptuous that you’d swear it would make Nigella Lawson’s tits blush (and they do from time to time, let me tell you).  It flew past Pepe’s hand and the rest is history.  Reina, Liverpool’s defence and the rest of the screaming monkeys at Anfield were utterly humiliated as our visiting Gooners rang loud with joy.  We were 2-1 at extra time, and that was all thanks to a good pass, and an immaculate finish.

With Szczesny being our man of the match, it’s no surprise for me to say that we were quite lucky on that day.  He’s young indeed, but with saves like that, there’s no denial that the man has talent.  However, Liverpool should be equally guilty of our win thanks to them missing out on so many opportunities due to some woeful finishing.  For us, our midfield performance was lacking to say the least, and the boys at Anfield had quite a bit more in terms of possession that we did, but what made the difference was clinical goalscoring.  The Gunners had their back to the wall all game long, but two passes and two crucial hits to the net from RVP were what sunk Liverpool, the latter being extremely hard to execute.  If you want to call that luck, then go right ahead, but as Arseblog has stated on his own post for this game, it’s good to get that at some point for us.  It was a messy game to say the least, but at least we can walk away with the thought that we can finish better than those Merseyside clowns.  However, with the likes of Suarez leading the pack at Anfield, maybe they shouldn’t be so concerned about finishing anything.  From the looks of it, Anfield should change their motto from “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to “You’d Rather Dive Alone.”